Discovery
by Kkat84
Summary: Chris and Wyatt have always been taught to vanquish evil and protect innocents. When they go off to college, they learn that those two rules can come into conflict.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 1**

Wyatt grimaced as he looked at the pile of boxes needing to be packed. There should be a law against two siblings leaving for college on the same day. "This is going to be impossible," he complained.

"Well, you shouldn't have harped on how you were all grown up and didn't need any help," thirteen year old Amarie teased.

"Is Mom still around," Wyatt asked, stifling his irritation at his little sister.

"Yeah, and she's on the lookout for any orbing. If she doesn't see you hauling boxes out there for the next couple hours, she'll get awfully suspicious." There was a definite smugness in Amarie's tone.

"What's the good of being a witch if you can't use your magic for anything useful?"

"Talk to Piper," Amarie answered absently. She was inspecting one of the boxes. "Honestly, Wyatt, did you actually sort any of this out before you packed it?"

"Leave my stuff alone!"

"You have dirty boxer shorts, car magazines three years out of date, mummified pizza, and a collection of Hot Wheels cars packed in here with dictionaries and paper."

"I washed my clothes!"

"Correction-I washed them. And after being in this box, I'm not sure I'd count them as clean."

"Go irritate Chris." It was the wrong thing to say. Amarie tossed her waist-length hair and stalked out of the room. "I'm going to see if Piper needs any help cooking."

Wyatt rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the boxes. "CHRIS!"

"Whaddaya want," Chris asked laconically.

"You packed yet?"

"Yeah." He frowned at the box Amarie had been inspecting. "Holy cow, Wyatt, do you ever clean?"

"Don't you start!"

"Who's been after you? Mom?"

"No, Amarie. What'd you say to her, anyway?"

Chris shrugged irritably. "She's been in a mood all morning. Let's get this stuff packed."

An hour later, the boxes were safely packed into the family van and Wyatt's car. "I want Wyatt's room," sixteen year old Melissa announced.

"What about me," Heather protested. "I'm tired of sharing, too!"

"I'm older," her sister shot back.

"Don't go, don't go," little Grace begged as she hung on Chris' arm.

"I get my own room, I get my own room," Henry sang obnoxiously.

"SHUT UP!" Four of his cousins jumped on him instantly.

"Mom, Aunt Piper, can't I have Wyatt's room," Melissa whined.

A nearby vase exploded. Instant silence fell as Piper took a deep breath. "Everyone be quiet…please. Wyatt, Chris, are you ready to go?"

"We just have to say goodbye."

"All right. All of you, stop screaming. We'll work out any new sleeping arrangements later. Say goodbye to your cousins."

A flurry of hugs followed as the younger Halliwell children told the eldest two goodbye. Wyatt was nearly to the car when he noticed who was missing. "_Chris? Where's Mari?"_

"_I don't know. Where'd she go?"_

"_Amarie," _Wyatt called telepathically. He listened intently for her. "Got her," he said out loud at the same time that Chris pointed to the roof.

Wyatt orbed up to the Manor's roof. Amarie sat on the flatter part outside of a window. "Looking for birds," he teased her. She turned to roll her eyes at him. A trickle of blood ran down her cheek. "Kid, what happened?" He reached out to heal her.

"A porcelain projectile," she answered dryly. Seeing the look on his face, she spoke quickly. "Don't tell Piper."

"Weren't you going to tell us goodbye?"

"I figured I could call you. And it's not like I can't visit anytime I want."

"You'll bounce off the wards," Wyatt replied automatically. Amarie could teleport herself and other objects within a certain distance. Leo suspected that her range would grow. He gave her a hug. "Go on down before Mom notices you're gone." She disappeared instantly.

Shaking his head, Wyatt orbed to the car. Chris raised an eyebrow and pushed himself away from the van. "You ready?"

"Of course."

Wyatt climbed into his car and pulled out of the driveway. He would lead the way to the college, with Chris following in the van. Wyatt hummed the tune to his favorite song as he drove down the highway. Six months of pleading and cajoling had paid off-Piper had allowed her two sons to leave home. Wyatt had spent the past two years taking college courses online. Certain events had prevented him from leaving home when he was eighteen. At twenty years old, he was finally out on his own. Life had never looked so good.

A/N: Yes, a new story. For anyone who reads Sacrifice, the last two chapters should be posted by the end of the week. Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 2**

Chris looked around his side of the room one more time. Books lined the bookshelf, clothes were in the closet and dresser, and his laptop was on his desk. Wyatt's side of the room was a collection of half unpacked boxes. Both of them had a picture of their family propped up on their desks. Wyatt and Chris were sitting on a picnic bench, with Chris holding their youngest cousin Grace in his lap. Henry and Heather were perched precariously on the end of the table. Melissa was sitting in front of Wyatt, grinning mischievously at the camera. Amarie sat half hidden by Melissa; she had been pulled into the picture by Wyatt. Amarie had come to live with them three years before, and still didn't quite consider herself part of the family. All the children had a copy of the picture, even little Grace. Chris glanced over at his brother. Wyatt was stretched out on the small cross-section of his bed that was box-free, taking a nap. Chris shook his head in amusement. He considered waking his older brother, but the witch hadn't slept in forty-eight hours. He needed a break. The microwave beeped to the tune of some old TV show-Melissa had clearly been toying with it. The teenage girl had a disconcerting affinity with mechanical and electronic objects-she regularly dismantled and put back together every appliance that the family owned. She could also hold a live wire in her hands without any danger. Whenever Wyatt's car threatened to break down, he would coax Melissa into fixing it. She was usually amenable to bribes, fortunately. Chris read his email as he munched on pizza.

"Why must you be so productive," Wyatt mumbled.

"Someone has to be."

"You're a freak."

"Go back to sleep."

"I'm not awake." This last was at least partially true. Wyatt had an amazing ability to converse coherently in his sleep. When he was younger, Chris had been convinced that his brother could also vanquish demons in his sleep. Their mother had not been especially pleased with Chris' experiment regarding that theory. Wyatt hadn't been pleased either when Henry, the little tattletale, had told him about it. Wyatt never actually remembered these dream conversations, a fact that Chris had taken much advantage of over the years.

An earth-shattering ring distracted both of them. Mischievously, Chris sat back and let Wyatt answer. "What," he grumbled into the phone." Piper's voice could be heard on the other end of the line.

"I was sleeping." A pause.

"Yes, I'm unpacked, and Chris is freakishly organized."

His tone changed subtly. "Mom, you do not need to come up here. Don't bother Dad or Aunt Paige."

"Give me that," Chris snapped. He took the phone from his brother's hands.

"Mom, it's me. We've got nearly everything unpacked. We've printed out our schedules and checked the locations of the classrooms. We're about to fix dinner and then we need to run some errands. We'll call you in a few days, all right? Love you, bye." He hung up before Piper had time to do more than stammer a goodbye.

"I have got to learn how you do that," Wyatt stated in awe. Chris smirked a little. "What can I say? It's a gift."

"And since when do we have our schedules printed…" he trailed off as Chris held up copies of their schedules and maps of the school, with the important buildings highlighted. "You are a freak."

"Look, we can use this map to focus and get a sense of where the buildings are. We're maybe not as good as Henry, but we're pretty good."

Wyatt nodded approvingly. "You're a genius. A freaky one, but a genius nevertheless."

"Your stupidity brings it out in me." Chris yelped as Wyatt tackled him. He yelped louder when his shoulder found the thumbtack he had lost earlier. Wyatt laughed as he removed the offending object. "College is going to be great."

Wyatt discovered another reason why college existed the next day. Specifically, co-ed colleges. A beautiful redhead sat in front of him, apparently absorbed in the professor's lecture. Wyatt peeked at the girl's notes, and discovered with amusement that she had calculus notes on one page and some kind of story on the other. The professor was giving an overview of what they would be learning in class. About four people in the class were actually listening; the rest were miles away. After an interminable time, class was dismissed. "Hi, I'm Wyatt," he greeted the redhead. She shook his hand firmly, the touch of her skin cool. "Cassandra Weston." He wondered distractedly what Chris would pick up from her. "Are you new? I've never seen you here before."

"Do you know every student on campus?"

"I know most of the ones who would be taking an upper level math class," she retorted.

Wyatt grinned disarmingly. "Fair enough. Yes, I transferred in."

"Where'd you transfer from?"

"I took online courses for my first two years."

Cassandra looked curious but didn't ask, showing more perceptiveness than most people displayed. "Well, welcome to Tillman College" (1).

"I'm not sure where the music building is," Wyatt lied. "Can you show me where it is?"

"I'm headed in the opposite direction, but I can point it out to you. How many times did you get lost this morning?"

"I didn't get lost."

"Oh, I figured you must have, with you not being able to read the map and all." She gestured to the map he held, smirking.

He grinned sheepishly. "That was really stupid, wasn't it?"

"I was thinking more pathetic, but stupid will do."

"Do you ever eat lunch with pathetic guys?"

Her expression didn't alter, but Wyatt caught the flicker of amusement in her mind.

"I'm keeping you from your class." He stepped aside and gestured for her to go first. Amused, she left the classroom.

Chris turned his mind on automatic pilot as he sat through his freshman literature class. He had learned how to write a paper in high school; he didn't need a lecture on outlining. He amused himself by surveying the pretty girls in the room. Two were wearing engagement rings, so he ruled them out immediately. Who in their right mind would want to get married right out of high school? His attention locked on one girl with black hair. She was dressed casually, in faded blue jeans and a t-shirt. She was pretty enough, but that wasn't what caught his attention. There was something very strange about her. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. She turned her head and looked at him; he quickly looked away.

"Wyatt, I'm telling you, there's something weird about her?"

"I didn't think brunettes were your type, Chris," Wyatt teased his younger brother.

"Wyatt! What if she's a demon?"

"Don't you think your love life has enough problems without dating a demon?"

A slew of textbooks launched themselves at Wyatt. He fended them off easily, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "OK. Do you have any evidence, other than a creepy feeling, that she's a demon?"

"No," Chris answered irritably.

"So, keep an eye on her and try to find out about her. I'm not saying you're wrong," he overrode Chris' protest, "but we can't go making a vanquishing potion until we know for sure she's evil."

"What else would give me that feeling?"

"Just don't go off half-cocked, that's all I'm saying."

"Fine, I won't." Chris stalked over to his computer to do some research. Maybe he could figure out what the girl's name was. Wyatt did his best to hide his amusement-usually Chris was the one cautioning him to be careful. He looked speculatively at his homework. Did he really need to work on that calculus? No, he could do it tomorrow. He had more important things to do-like buy food. Both boys had promised their mother that they would actually eat regular food and not subsist on Ramen noodles and microwave pizza. He had a feeling that she didn't really expect them to survive on their own. Grabbing the car keys and a grocery list, he said goodbye to an oblivious Chris and left.

Wyatt stepped back as he studied the wide variety of cereals. He was seriously tempted to buy Chocolate Crisps just to see Chris gag, but the thought of eating a bowl of the stuff in the morning was too horrible to contemplate. "Ow!" An indignant female voice interrupted his thoughts as he took a step back. He turned to see Cassandra Weston's blazing grey eyes. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"Well, you should have looked!" Her sharp tone irritated Wyatt-it had been an accident.

"It's a pity your eyes don't work," he retaliated. She started to say something else, then grinned suddenly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have gotten that mad. It's been a long day." She looked at his groceries. "What, no Ramen noodles?"

"My mom's a former chef. I would hate to be disowned," he laughed.

"Funny, sometimes I think I wouldn't mind it." Her laugh was forced.

"Besides, Ramen noodles are disgusting."

"I'd have to agree with you there," Cassandra admitted. "I eat large quantities of seashell noodles, though, so I'm not sure I can criticize anyone's noodle-eating habits."

"Please tell me you put sauce or cheese on them."

"Usually not."

"Well, there are weirder habits. My sister eats frozen vegetables."

"What's weird about that?"

"Most people thaw them first. Amarie just grabs them out of the bags in the freezer and eats them."

Cassandra laughed out loud. "I, on the other hand, hardly ever eat vegetables. I prefer fruit."

Her phone buzzed, startling them both. Her face paled a little as she saw the name. "Something wrong," Wyatt asked quietly.

She shook her head as she answered. "Hello?" Her posture stiffened as she listened. "I'm fine. I got all my stuff moved in yesterday."

She listened for a minute more. "I'll do that. Talk to you later."

She glanced up at Wyatt. "I have to go. I'll see you later." She walked away without any further comment.

That was strange, Wyatt thought. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued shopping. He would solve the mystery of Cassandra Weston later.

A/N: As far as I know, Tillman College does not exist. If it does, any similarity in name or anything else is unintentional.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 3 **

Chris spent the next few weeks following the dark-haired girl around, just shy of stalking, but found nothing of use. He learned that her name was Kacela Lindstrom and she was a freshman at Tillman. She volunteered part time at a hospital and was a favorite with the pediatrics wing. She had already made several friends, but none of them were very close to her. "She's quiet," her friend Lacey noted. "Not quiet as in shy, but more…reserved, I guess. It's hard to get her talk about herself, come to think of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Anytime you ask her a question, she'll direct the conversation back to you. Like, if you ask about her family, she'll give a quick answer and then ask if you'd heard from your sister lately. She just doesn't talk about herself."

Lacey grinned knowingly at him. "You like her?"

"Something like that," Chris answered easily.

"Smart, quiet, works with kids at the hospital, she sounds about perfect," Chris commented to Wyatt later on.

"Then of course she has to be a demon."

Chris glared in response to his brother's sarcastic comment. "Wyatt, no one's that perfect."

"Chris. Even her friends have only known her less than a month. They probably don't know her flaws yet."

"Whose side are you on?"

Wyatt gave him a look that said, you idiot. "I'm just playing devil's advocate. We're a team, remember?"

"I just figured you were too busy flirting with Cassandra Weston to pay attention."

"Cass has nothing to do with this," Wyatt answered irritably. "If I were the one who had spotted a potential demon, you would be saying the exact same things that I am."

Unwilling to admit that his brother was right; Chris gave up. The phone rang, startling them both. Wyatt answered it. "Hello? Yeah, he's right here." He passed the phone to Chris.

"Chris? It's Kacela Lindstrom, from lit class."

"Hey, Kacela," Chris answered in surprise.

"Do you have tonight's reading?"

"Yeah. It's chapter 8 of The Turn of the Screw."

"Thanks. I hate that story, so I haven't been listening in class."

"I'm so bored, I'm not even sure what the story's about."

"Chris…" she broke off.

"Did you need anything else?"

"No, that's all." Her voice sounded oddly subdued.

Chris frowned thoughtfully at the phone as he hung up. Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure all this interest in her is because you think she's a demon?" Chris lunged, reaching for Wyatt's throat. Wyatt laughingly fended him off. "I want you to meet her. And don't even think of making a comment. You can sense evil sometimes."

"All right. Where can you usually find her?"

"She eats lunch outside around noon."

"I'll meet you there, then."

The next day was brilliantly sunny. It was too bad it was so humid, Wyatt thought. He only liked hot weather when he could go swimming. Chris spotted Kacela from ten feet away. "There she is." Kacela looked up when she heard their approach.

"Hey, Kacela," Chris said as if surprised. The slightly ironic twist to Kacela's mouth made Wyatt wonder if she had noticed Chris shadowing her. "This is my brother, Wyatt."

"Nice to meet you," Wyatt greeted politely as he shook her hand. A cool, silvery shield met his deft mental probe. She definitely had magic. Kacela's eyes narrowed slightly. They were extremely dark brown, almost black, Wyatt noticed. "I'm glad to meet you, Wyatt Halliwell," she answered calmly. Wyatt felt a slight chill run down his back. He didn't know if she was evil or not, but she was certainly dangerous. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get to class." Her bag suddenly slipped off her shoulder, falling to the ground. "I've got it." Chris picked it up and handed it to her. She slipped past them and headed towards the science building.

"Now do you believe me?"

"She definitely is pretty," Wyatt commented aloud. "I still think Tess is better looking, though."

"_Tread carefully, little brother. I don't know if she's a demon or what, but she definitely has power."_

"_Should we ask Aunt Paige?"_ They continued both the misleading verbal conversation and the more important mental one. _"Smart idea."_

"_I've got one of her strands of hair, so that might come in handy."_

"_Good thinking. We need to make sure she's evil, though."_

"_You check the Book, I'll work on making a potion."_

A thick layer of clouds covered the stars that night. Kacela glanced longingly at the sky. She hated nights like this. The room seemed to dim somewhat. She shivered, knowing what was coming, yet unable to prevent it. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen her eyes turn a dark, cold gray. "_Oh, do stop whining, Kacela," _the icy voice that only she could hear commanded. Kacela's body straightened from its huddled position and assumed a regal pose. Erisen looked smugly at her reflection. The only marked change in her appearance was the eye color, and people didn't notice eye color as frequently as some seemed to think. "So we're in the same class as one of the Halliwell witches, are we?"

"_Leave them alone, Erisen,"_ Kacela demanded.

"You're in no position to give me orders," Erisen snapped. She activated a spell that had the idiot girl shrieking in agony. She then closed the mental box that allowed Kacela's trapped soul a window into the world. She had work to do, and she didn't want to listen to the girl's constant complaints. "So you want to play, Wyatt Halliwell," she asked out loud. "We'll see how you like this game."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 4 **

Wyatt looked up as Chris strode in, slamming the door. "Bad day," he asked calmly.

"What are you doing? I thought you were supposed to be investigating Kacela! Don't you realize how much trouble we could be in?"

His brother's tendency to freak out could occasionally get annoying. "I already did. Her family lives in North Carolina. I've got her birthdate, family members, high school graduation, everything." He waved a sheet of paper at Chris.

"A girl died last night," Chris said flatly.

Wyatt's casualness evaporated in an instant. "Tell me about it."

"She was found bound and gagged, stabbed with an athame. The police found a note on the body saying 'Do you want to play a game?'"

"You think it could have been Kacela," Wyatt asked.

"Could be. Or it could be some other demon, or just some crazy person."

"Think we can get in and take a look at the body?"

"Let's go find out."

Wyatt grabbed Chris by the back of his shirt. "Slow down a little. You won't get anywhere wearing a faded t-shirt and blue jeans complete with holes."

"Fine, fine," Chris muttered under his breath. He headed over to his dresser to change clothes.

"So, how are we going to do this," Chris muttered to Wyatt.

"We sneak in. If we're questioned, we'll pretend to be private investigators."

"Hired by who?"

"No one. We can pretend that we know her. She was in one of my classes, so that won't be a lie."

Chris projected a general don't-notice-me aura that he had perfected over the years. Sometimes being an empath came in handy. Both boys could get a general sense of the kind of magic that a witch, demon, or other magical creature used. "It's really hard to pin down," Wyatt murmured distractedly.

"Kacela's power was like that, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Wyatt answered thoughtfully. "Good thinking, bro."

"It definitely warrants more investigation. That cop is getting suspicious. Let's go." They casually walked away from the crime scene.

Kacela looked consideringly at the overcast sky. There was supposed to be a 20 chance of rain. Hopefully it would rain; they desperately needed it. "Hey, Kacela!" She turned to see Chris Halliwell jogging up to her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," she answered cautiously. Even a year ago she would have liked him, but right then it was a bad idea to be friends with anyone that powerful.

"I'm going to grab a burger. Want to join me?"

"I'm really busy, I've got lab in fifteen minutes."

"All the more reason to eat now. You won't have any more time before dinner."

"Well, all right."

They ordered burgers and Cokes. Kacela followed Chris to a bench outside. "Did you hear about that girl who died?"

"Marcy? Yeah, I heard about her. She was one of my lab TAs." She swallowed convulsively and very definitely changed the subject. "How did you do on that lit test?"

"Pretty well. What about you?"

"Good."

"Do you know how Marcy died?"

"If you want gossip, read the paper," Kacela snapped. "I've really got to go."

Chris watched her go, thinking about that flash of emotion. Anger and pain were threaded through with fear. The anger and pain would be a normal reaction, but why fear? What did she know?

Kacela skipped lab and went back to her room. Her head began to pound as Erisen intruded on her consciousness. "**They suspect us."**

"Maybe we should stop."

"**Don't tell me you're getting cold feet**."

"This is going too far."

"**You said you'd help me! You said you'd do whatever it took**."

"We could have found another way."

"**I don't **_**want**_** to find another way**!"

Kacela dropped to her knees, clutching her head. Erisen retreated; that temper tantrum had tired her. "What am I going to do," Kacela whispered. Silence answered her.

Wyatt blinked at the computer characters swimming before his eyes. Why were the words moving? "I need sleep, or maybe coffee. Sleep would be better, but coffee will do." Waving his hand, he conjured a steaming coffee mug.

"Personal gain," Chris called.

"It is not. If I went to sleep now I would never wake up, and that would be a great loss to the world."

They had spent the past two days desperately trying to find anything that might show a connection between Marcy and Kacela. Kacela's birth records and graduation dates had been confirmed. Most demons did not grow up in small towns.

"I found something."

"I hate you. What?"

"Marcy and Kacela grew up in the same town. Oh, and two other people that they knew, named Todd and Rick, died as well."

"One's chance, two's coincidence…"

"Three is murder. What do you say we skip class tomorrow and take that trip to Kacela's hometown?"

"If I say yes, can I sleep?"

"Sleep away," Chris replied with an airy wave of his hand. Within minutes, Wyatt was dead to the world. Chris returned to his search of the small town's newspapers.

The headline Mysterious Disappearance of Teenage Girl caught his attention. He quickly skimmed the article. Five teenagers, Todd, Rick, Helen, Marcy, and Erica had gone camping as a graduation trip. When they returned from the trip a day early, Erica was not with them. The four teenagers all had the same story-Erica had been at the campsite when they went to sleep that night, but she was not there the next morning. A picture of the five teenagers was to the left of the article. Chris recognized one of the girls-she looked almost exactly like Kacela.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**A/N: **If anyone is still reading this story, I am both impressed and eternally grateful. Lots of changes lately. I am going to finish the story, although it may be a while.

**Chapter 5 **

"How should we get there?"

"Orbing? That would be a long car ride."

"Can I point out that we don't know where we're going? We can't orb." Wyatt's tone clearly said 'idiot'.

"Maybe we should take a plane?"

"Yeah, with what money?"

"We can ask Mom and Dad."

"Uh, they're not exactly made of money."

"What's the problem?" Cassandra's voice was politely curious.

"We have a…meeting in North Carolina that we need to go to. Problem is, it's a long drive from here to there."

"Especially in your car," Chris muttered.

"There is nothing wrong with my car!"

"Wyatt, I have to climb in the back seat window to get in the front passenger seat, and bang on the seat twice to get my seatbelt on!"

"I know of a way you can get there faster," Cassandra offered.

"How?"

"My friend owns a private jet. I can borrow it from him."

"Nice friend," Chris noted appreciatively.

"Definitely. Just pay for my meals and we'll call it even."

The boys glanced at each other. "Sure."

"When is the meeting?"

"Um, tomorrow?"

"Not a problem. Can you be ready in…an hour and a half?"

"Are you serious," Wyatt asked in disbelief.

"Not often, but this time, yes."

"Thanks!"

Cassandra and her pilot friend chattered casually to each other during the trip. Fortunately, they hadn't asked many questions about the trip. Once in North Carolina, they split up at a rental car place. "Meet you back here at six," Cassandra asked.

"No problem."

"Good. Call me if you get done earlier."

"We need more friends like her," Chris muttered as they walked away.

"Just as long as she doesn't turn out to be a demon."

"Yeah, that would be a problem."

"Of course, since she's not interested in you it's likely not to be a problem."

"Shut up." Chris quite possibly held the family record for dating evil creatures.

"It was a tragedy," one of the women they talked to answered firmly. "Good kids, all of them. I can't believe Marcy's dead."

"How did Todd and Rick die?"

"Todd fell through his bedroom window, three stories up. The fall killed him. Rick drove his car off a cliff. The police think he must have driven his car off a cliff. I feel so bad for their parents."

Wyatt noticed the differences in the deaths. Why had Marcy been stabbed? It made no sense.

"Did they ever find Erica's body," Chris asked quietly.

"No, never. I was on the search and rescue team-we combed the entire area but never found a thing. The police thought maybe she fell in the river and was pulled downstream; there are some pretty swift rapids."

"What about cliffs?"

"Some. Why all the questions?"

"My brother knew Marcy," Chris answered. "We're just…trying to make sense of it, I guess."

"I'm so sorry, dear," the woman answered.

"We'd better get going," Wyatt sighed. "Thanks for talking to us."

"What do you think," Chris asked as they left.

"Todd and Rick both died in similar ways, but Marcy was stabbed. Why?"

"Maybe something went wrong. I think Kacela must be Erica."

"Maybe. It still feels like we're missing something, though."

"Like what?"

"Maybe we should talk to Marcy's parents."

"Haven't they been through enough," Chris asked sharply.

"Chris…if Erica is alive and she's killing everyone who was on that trip, there's still one girl left. We have to save her."

"You're right. Let's go."

Marcy's father wasn't home, but her mother invited them into the house. She accepted their condolences with a shaky voice. "I just can't believe she's dead. I don't know why anyone would want to kill her."

"Could it have anything to do with the deaths of those boys, Todd and Rick?"

"Their deaths were accidental."

"Or assisted suicide," a female voice commented.

"Sharon!" Marcy's mother looked angrily at the teenage girl who entered the room. "It was an accident!"

"Marcy's definitely wasn't."

"Well, she didn't commit suicide! Your sister was murdered, Sharon! How can you say…" she broke off.

"We should go. We're sorry for interrupting," Chris interjected softly.

"I'll show you out," Sharon answered flatly. She led them to the door.

"Why do you think their deaths were suicides," Wyatt asked.

"Why do you care? You didn't know them."

"Five kids went on a trip. Four are dead. I don't want one more added."

Sharon studied them closely. "You got money? I could use a burger and a drink."

"Everyone thinks Todd and Rick were so great. They weren't," Sharon asserted as she drank her Coke. They sat outside on a bench in front of a burger joint.

"So, what were the not-so-perfect Todd and Rick like?"

"Typical jocks. Athletic, popular, went to all the parties, and thought they owned the world."

"And Marcy?"

"She was Rick's boyfriend. I told her she should dump him, but she liked hanging out with his friends." Sharon's face hardened. "She could be a jerk too, sometimes."

"What about Erica and Helen?"

"Helen was Marcy's friend. She was also friends with Erica, but Erica didn't like Marcy, Todd, or Rick. Todd and Rick talked Marcy into asking Erica and Helen to come with them on the trip."

Wyatt silently thanked the Elders that he was out of high school and all of its stupid games.

"But Erica never came back."

"No, she didn't."

"Did Marcy ever say anything about the trip," Chris asked gently. He had felt a flash of emotion from her when asked about Erica.

"She used to tell me everything. Who she liked, who she hated, what tests she cheated on; she even told me when she tried drugs with Rick."

"But she didn't talk about the trip."

"No. She cried herself sick every night for a month. Mom and Dad dragged her to a counselor, but it didn't do any good. They might have thought she felt better, but she didn't."

"What did you mean when you said 'assisted suicide'?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try us. You'd be surprised."

Sharon sighed and closed her eyes. A stick lying on the ground near her suddenly turned into a bird and flew away.

"You're a witch," Chris exclaimed softly.

"You know about witches?"

In answer, Chris moved a rock into Sharon's hand. She stared at it wide eyed, curling her fingers around it.

"We're witches, too," Chris answered her question. "Was Marcy?"

"Marcy was," she answered. "I don't think my parents were, but our aunt was. She taught Marcy and me."

"Were any of the others witches?"

"Erica was. Her and her twin sister, Kacela."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

A/N: Just one or two more chapters to go. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

"Why would someone want to kill me?" Disbelief and fear colored Helen's tone. "Five of you went on a trip, only four came back. Of those four, you're the only one left alive."

"You think I killed them?" Her voice nearly rose to a shriek.

"No. We think you may be the next victim."

"Todd and Rick committed suicide."

"Marcy certainly didn't. And we're not too sure about Todd and Rick either."

Helen looked down, and Chris felt her fear intensify.

"Helen," he softened his tone, "what happened on that trip?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened, ok? Erica ran off and never came back."

"Helen, you're in danger."

"Get out! I can take care of myself! Go!"

"Well, that went well," Wyatt commented sarcastically when they returned to college.

"So we're pretty sure that Kacela is killing these people."

"Yes."

"Wyatt, there's one slight problem."

"What's that?"

"She's human. A murderer, yeah, but a human one. We can't vanquish her."

"We can find evidence that links Marcy's death to her. And anyway, right now we need to figure out a way to protect Helen."

"How can we do that if she won't listen to us?"

"We'll keep watch on her. If something goes wrong, we go in and stop it."

They spent the next several days keeping a distant eye on Helen. The boys weren't sure if she sensed their presence or if their questions had unnerved her, but she was very clearly frightened. Chris shifted position, stretching his leg muscles. It was his turn to watch after Helen. Distracted by the antics of a kid on a skateboard, Chris nearly missed a familiar figure headed towards Helen's house. Kacela was here.

Chris moved closer to the house, ducking down behind a bush. He saw Helen standing at the door talking to Kacela. She hesitated for a minute, then stepped back to let Kacela enter. Chris moved around to a window in the back of the house. He could see the girls standing in the living room, talking. Kacela leaned casually against the wall, while Helen sat on the couch. Chris frowned, studying Kacela's posture. He had spent weeks watching her and knew her mannerisms very well. The young woman was standing with a confidence she had never before possessed-except for the time he had introduced her to Wyatt. His eyes moved to Helen, and he swore out loud. She was holding a knife to one of her wrists.

Kacela whipped her head around when Chris orbed inside. "Get out unless you want to die," she hissed. Chris orbed the knife away from Helen and into the wall. Shaken from her trance, Helen gripped her left wrist tightly.

"I'm not going to let you kill her."

"It's none of your business, Halliwell. Oh yes, I know your name. And I won't let you stop me!"

A blinding pain stabbed behind Chris' eyes, and he doubled over. He fought for air but couldn't breathe. Just before he blacked out, the pain ceased. Kacela angrily threw Helen against a wall. Chris orbed to Helen, grabbed her, and orbed out before Kacela could react. An enraged shriek echoed in his ears as he disappeared.

"I don't understand," Helen managed to say. "What are you?" Wyatt and Chris had put up wards to protect them after they brought Helen to their dorm room.

"We're people who are trying to help you. It's a little complicated to explain."

"What did Kacela say to you?"

"At first she wanted to ask about her sister's disappearance. I told her…that Erica got into a fight with Todd and Rick. That she ran off and we didn't see her again."

"What happened then?"

"She…she started talking about stuff. Stuff that only Erica would know."

"They were twins," Wyatt pointed out when she paused.

"I know…but…she knew stuff that Erica would never have the chance to tell her."

"Helen. We need to know what happened on the trip."

Helen stared down at the wrist that she had cut with a knife. She had seemed dumbstruck when Wyatt healed it. Chris couldn't blame her.

"Erica and I were supposed to go to the beach that week. Marcy told me about the camping trip, and kept asking me to go. I don't really like going to the beach, so I told Marcy I would go, but only if Erica could go too. So all five of us went."

"Erica didn't run off, did she?"

"There's an old rope bridge across a gorge. There are signs up warning to avoid it, because it isn't stable. Todd and Rick bet that Erica was too chicken to cross it; they wouldn't shut up about it. Erica told them that she would go if they went first. They wouldn't, so we all went back to camp."

"Then what happened?"

"We were going to find a different camping site the next day. We went up to the gorge." Helen's voice was slow and halting. "Todd grabbed Erica's pack and threw it across the gorge. She tried to go across the bridge to get it…it broke halfway through. We couldn't do anything." Helen began to weep harshly, shoulders shaking.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I don't know! We were all so scared, and the boys argued that we would be blamed for it. We decided to pretend we didn't know where she had gone."

The boys exchanged glances. "Maybe it's not Kacela, not exactly."

"You think it's Erica?"

"Erica possessing her sister's body. Could her power be mind control? She could have used it to make Todd and Rick commit suicide, like she planned to do with Helen."

"Why did she stab Marcy?"

"Marcy was a witch, remember? Maybe Erica's power didn't work so well on her."

"So what do we do?"

"Get rid of the ghost."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 7**

Chris orbed into the attic at the Manor, quickly checking to make sure no one was present. He and Wyatt had decided not to tell their parents about the ghost, at least not until it was vanquished. Their mom still hadn't quite acknowledged that they were capable of fighting evil without supervision. Hopefully, he could find what he was looking for and leave before anyone knew that he was there.

"Chris! What are you doing here?" Chris jumped, then raised his eyes to meet the curious gaze of his younger sister. Amarie hung back slightly, the slightest hint of wariness in her eyes. "Hey, Mari. I was just doing some research."

"What's wrong with the front door?"

"I'm kind of in a hurry, and you know Mom will want to talk forever…"

"Chris!" Grace launched herself into Chris' arms, caroling a high-pitched greeting.

"Hey, sweetie. How's school?"

"Fun, fun, lots of fun!" Grace loved magic school.

Amarie relaxed, slowly coming forward. Grace was an empathy; she would have known immediately if Chris wasn't really Chris.

"How come you're here?"

"I have to do some research, kiddo."

"Hey, munchkin, wanna play dinosaurs with me?" Amarie winked at Chris as he handed their little cousin to her. "Dinos, dinos, dino-saurs," Grace sang as Amarie teleported the two of them away. Chris shook his head, making a mental note to pay his little sister back later. Finding the spell he needed, he orbed back to his dorm room.

Wyatt looked up expectantly as Chris came back in. "You got it?" He set the scrying crystal down on the table.

"Yep. Who's the lucky sacrifice?"

He was only partially joking. Erica's body had never been found; the only spell they could use against her had to be read by a ghost.

"I'm doing it," Wyatt stated firmly. He gently tossed a knife from one hand to another.

Chris narrowed his eyes. "How 'bout we flip a coin?"

"Forget it."

"Why," Chris challenged.

"Because I'm older, I'm stronger, and I can kick your butt any day."

"Wyatt, I'm just as good a witch as you..."

Chris' words cut off as Wyatt cut off circulation to his younger brother's spinal cord just long enough to stab the knife through his own chest. Chris swore as he hit the ground, unable to break his fall. "I hate it when you do that!"

Ghost Wyatt grinned at him mischievously. "Ready to go?"

"I'm ready," Chris answered resignedly.

Chris could feel his brother's spirit, even though he couldn't see him.

"Won't Erica know you're there," he asked out loud.

"_I'm veiled. You can sense me because you're my brother and you know I'm here, but even other ghosts will have trouble sensing me."_

"How can you do that?"

"_It's a trick I learned a couple years back."_

Chris shivered, remembering the nightmarish three months when Wyatt had disappeared without a trace. His older brother had never said that much about that time, and sometimes Chris thought that it must have been worse than he let on.

"_Summon Kacela. Let's get this over with."_

Chris placed eight enchanted crystals in a circle and begin the summoning spell. Before he had even finished the first few lines, Kacela appeared. "Is this your idea of a hot date, Halliwell?"

"Hello, Erica," Chris answered calmly. "I generally prefer dinner and a movie, but hey, whatever works."

She shook her head mockingly. "The girls must love you. What do you want?"

"For you to stop possessing Kacela and move on to the next life."

"I was planning on hanging around for a while, actually."

"Even if it kills your sister?"

"I don't care about her," Erica laughed. "Every day I grow stronger and she grows weaker. She'll be out of my hair soon enough."

Chris felt sick at the spirit's callousness towards her sister.

"You want to protect her. How sweet. She's hardly an innocent, though. She's the one who summoned me here. Wanted to get revenge for her precious sister's death."

"You are her sister," Chris snapped.

"I used to be," she replied, shrugging carelessly. "I'm more than Erica ever was, though. The name's Erisen, by the way."

Erisen casually stretched her arms out, blasting the crystals away from her. Taking two steps towards the stunned witch-whitelighter, she waved a hand at him, drenching him with icy water. The water droplets instantly froze, encasing Chris in a cocoon of ice. _"I learned a lot, trapped in that river for so long. There were others, imprisoned for centuries. We joined together to free ourselves. We fed on the weaker ones and waited for our chance. Now it's here. And you, Halliwell, will never stop us. ..What!"_

Wyatt unveiled himself and began to chant the spell. Taking advantage of Erisen's distraction, Chris concentrated on freeing himself. The molecules of the ice could be induced to move apart, causing it to melt. Unlike many witches with telekinesis, Chris could use his ability on the molecular level. Even Wyatt couldn't do that. The water flowed down his body, soaking into the ground. He looked towards Erisen. Kacela's body was rigid, eyes fixed on something he couldn't see. She screamed, and then fell to the ground.

Erisen disappeared as soon as she was forced from Kacela's body, but her twin lingered a moment more. She looked down at Chris, then back at Wyatt. _"Thanks for stopping her…for stopping us."_

"_It's not your fault."_

"_Yes it is. I'm the one who brought her back. I knew it was dangerous, and I did it anyway. I wanted the others to suffer for what they had done, for letting my sister die. I wanted Erica back, and I didn't care what the price was."_

"_But it wasn't really her." _

"_Not anymore. I'm sorry about Helen getting hurt, and Marcy's death. I'm even sorry about Todd and Rick."_ Her mouth quirked a little. _"Maybe I'll look them up sometime, if we end up in the same place. Take care of your family, Wyatt."_ Her gaze moved to something beyond him. He turned around to look and saw nothing. When he turned back around, she was gone.

Chris knelt by Kacela's body, frantically trying to revive her.

"_It's too late, Chris, she's gone."_

"No, she isn't."

"_Chris, she's already gone to the other side. I don't have much more time, so let's get back."_ Chris stared blankly at his brother's spirit, then remembered that they needed to put Wyatt's soul back in his body. "All right." With one last glance at Kacela, he headed for the door.

Chris restored Wyatt's soul to his body, then started getting ready for bed. It had been a long night. "Chris, talk to me," Wyatt urged him.

"Wyatt, I don't feel like going into the 'you're only human' lecture again. I've got it memorized, along with the 'it's for the Greater Good' and the 'magic can't solve all problems' lectures."

Wyatt ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not going to lecture you. You feel like a knife blade is buried in your chest. I know, I've been there. Just remember that I'm here, OK?

"If I say yes, will you quit trying to go all Aunt Phoebe on me?"

"Hey, at least I didn't call Mom and the aunts."

"They'd kill you for dying," Chris pointed out dryly. "Look, right now I just want to sleep. Good night."

"Don't let the bed-scorpions bite," Wyatt replied automatically.

"Sicko," Chris grumbled as he climbed into bed.

He felt the brush of Wyatt's mind across his, ensuring that his little brother wouldn't have nightmares. Chris was too tired to complain. He closed his eyes and let sleep come.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. They all belong to Brad Kern and whoever. I do own Amarie, Melissa, Heather, and Grace. Please don't steal them.

**Chapter 8**

"It's almost seven, Wyatt," Chris yelled out. "Remember to put on socks this time."

"Don't forget to put on cologne," Melissa added helpfully.

"Wyatt and Cassandra, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S…" Heather found it hard to continue the chant once Wyatt cast a silencing spell on her.

"Personal gain," Melissa sang out.

Wyatt came out of the bathroom, glaring at his siblings and cousins. "Why are you still here? Doesn't the movie start soon?"

"Not 'till seven-thirty," Amarie informed him. "They wanted to be around to see the girl." Her tone indicated a supreme lack of interest in Wyatt's date. The thirteen year old insisted that dating caused a person's brains to atrophy. Melissa typically replied that Amarie was probably safe from the negative effects.

Heather banged on the table, pointing to her throat. "It'll go away after you leave," Wyatt explained. She glared at him, attempting to project an air of menace. "That would be more impressive if you weren't wearing a Smurfs t-shirt," her cousin informed her. "The little blue guys just aren't that scary."

"Gremlins are scary," Amarie pointed out.

"They're not bad," Chris interjected.

"Yeah, they like you, you freak of nature."

"All of you, out," Wyatt ordered. The next instant, Chris and the girls found themselves sitting in Chris' car.

"He even buckled our seatbelts," Melissa noted in amazement.

"Show-off," Chris grumbled as he started the car.

Wyatt sighed in relief once they were gone. Although he was glad to see the girls, he didn't want them around when Cassandra arrived. He had invited them mainly as a distraction for Chris. Chris had been unusually silent since Kacela's death, and Wyatt knew Chris blamed himself for not being able to save her. Part of Wyatt felt the same way, but he had learned a long time ago that saving everyone was impossible. Chris still hadn't learned that lesson. The girls' enthusiasm and playful teasing would be good for the younger witch.

Ten minutes later, Cassandra knocked on Wyatt's door. He let her in, smiling warmly. "Glad you decided to show up."

"And miss a chance to eat food I didn't cook? Never." She looked around. "Your brother's gone?"

"He took our little sister and cousins out to a movie. Hopefully a long one."

"What movie were you planning on us watching?"

"You get to pick. Your choices are right over there."

Wyatt had politely included some chick flicks along with his favorite action movies. To his relief, she drew out a sci-fi movie. "I love this one."

"Girl's got good taste in movies," Wyatt commented appreciatively. She smirked a little. "Oh, just wait 'till we've been friends for two months. That's when I start pulling out the girly movies."

They talked while watching the movie, trading stories about their respective childhoods. Wyatt noticed the ring on Cassandra's hand. "What's that?"

"Oh, this? It's some thing I bought off of the Internet." She briefly held up her hand, then picked up her Coke and sipped at it. Wyatt had memorized the design in the two seconds it had been visible, and wondered why it seemed so familiar. He made a mental note to look up the design later. After a while, Cassandra yawned. "What time is it?"

"About nine-thirty."

"I really shouldn't be tired so early, but I've been awake for nearly thirty hours. Do you mind if we cut this short?"

"Go home and sleep," Wyatt laughed. "I'll walk you to your car."

"I walked over here, actually."

"Then I'll walk you to your dorm."

Cassandra protested, but gave in when he insisted. She smiled warmly at him when they reached her door. "I had a great time. See you around, Wyatt."

"See you around," he echoed.

Cassandra nearly jumped out of her skin when she opened her door to find someone sitting on her bed. "For crying out loud, Elena, you scared me to death!"

"You're getting slow," Elena calmly replied. She studied Cassandra carefully. "I trust the date went well?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were with Wyatt Halliwell."

"Unlike you, I don't feel the need to seduce every man I meet."

"Just as well he didn't kiss you. One date is fine, but don't make it a habit. The elders would be most displeased if you were to fall in love with him."

"Relax, that is not going to happen." Cassandra's amused tone seemed to reassure Elena, but only partially.

"See that it doesn't. Your job is to watch him, and kill him if it becomes necessary."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Good." Elena disappeared before Cassandra could respond. She sighed a little before getting ready for bed. Family visits were always exhausting. "Please don't make me kill you, Wyatt Halliwell," she asked out loud. "It'd certainly be a shame." She went to bed wondering what would happen next.

The End

A/N: I hope you liked Discovery. I'm planning to write both a prequel and a sequel, but they may be a long time in coming. The prequel will deal with a few things mentioned in the last couple chapters. Cassandra will be a character in the sequel, and possibly make a cameo in the prequel. I'm trying to decide whether to kill her off. Any preferences? Should she live or die? Should I make her evil, good, or both? Please review!


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